There are various ‘surround-sound’ formats that range, for example, from the 5.1 home theatre system to the 22.2 system developed by NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai or Japan Broadcasting Corporation). Often, these so-called surround-sound formats specify locations at which speakers are to be positioned such that the speakers may best reproduce the sound field at the audio playback system. Yet, those who have audio playback systems that support one or more of the surround sound formats often do not accurately place the speakers at the format specified locations, often because the room in which the audio playback system is located has limitations on where the speakers may be placed. While certain formats are more flexible than other formats in terms of where the speakers may be positioned, some formats have been more widely adopted, resulting in consumers being hesitant to upgrade or transition to these more flexible formats due to high costs associated with the upgrade or transition to the more flexible formats.